Automatically-adjustable device.



L.E.LADD.

AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.L4.I91B.

mmugmmmi 8 vwamtoz a (to: we c;

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

Louise. L Annorrnovmnnon, nnonn rsnnnn.

AUTOMATICALLY-ADJUSTABLE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 30, 1918- Applieationfiled January 14, 1918. Serial No. 211,767.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, LoUIsE. LADD, a citi zen of the United States, andresident of the city of Providence, in the county-of Providenceand'State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatically-Adjustable Devices,

ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a spring-actu.w

ated, .automatically-adjustable device adapted to serve as a yieldingextendible member for use 011 band bracelets, garters, belts,

suspenders or for any other purpose for v which the device may beadapted.

The object of this invention is to provide a mechanical device adaptedto yield under spring tension when pressure is brought to bear thereonand to return to normal position when the pressure is released. 7

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel. features of construction, as will be more fully described,and-particularly pointed outin the ap ended claims. 7

n the accompanying drawings Figure 1- is a perspective view showing apair of my adjustable devices connected to operate as an extensionmember on a band form of watch bracelet.

Fig. 2- is a plan view of a pair ofrackplates arranged to be hingedtogether.-

Fig. 3- is an enlarged sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2, showing theteeth of the rack-plate as being swaged into the plate. Fig. 4- is acentral longitudinal section through the gear member of the device.

Fig. 5- is an end view of the gear showing the same as engaging theteeth of the rack partly in section; also showing the housing insection. Fig. 6 is a section throughthe housing on line 66 of Fig. 8,showing the square hole in its end wall for receiving thecorrespondingly-shaped end of the shaft.

Fig. 7- is a perspective view of the shaft, showing one end as beingsquare to fit the correspondingly-shaped hole in the wall of the housingand the other end as being split to receive the end of the tensionspring.

Fig. 8 is a section through the gear, the rack and the housing, showingthe whole.

as assembled. 7

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a rack-plate which may be madein one piece, or it may be made inhalves if desired and the halveshinged or otherwise connected together as at 11, as shown in Fig. 2, sothat two oppositely-disposed,

yielding members may be mounted thereon when required.

These rack-plates may be formed of any suitable material but arepreferably formed of a sheet of metal'having teeth 12 swaged ordepressed thereinto, asillustrated in Fig.

3, along the middle portion of the plate, leaving the outer margins 13plain, smooth or unswaged so as to provide guides on which the flangesof the housing slide.

This housing member or carriage la is preferably formed in atrough-shape having end walls 15 and 16. The end wall 15 being providedwith a square opening as at 17 to receive the correspondingly-shaped end'18 of the shaft 19, the hole 20 in the opposite wall 16 being round, toreceive the opposite end of the shaft. Each of these walls is providedwitha downwardly and inwardly turned projecting flange 21 which isdesigned to extend under the plain edge 7 13 of the rack-plate for thepurpose of retaining the housing in sliding engagement with .said plate.

I have also provided a gear 22 having teeth 23 which engage those oftherack, the center portion of this gear being hollow as at 24a andprovided with end bearing members 25 and 26.

A tubular shaft 27 extends longitudinally through this chamber 24 andthrough these bearing members, the square end, of this shaft passingthrough the square hole 18 of the housing while the opposite end of theshaft is split as at 28 and passes through the Wall 16 of the housing.These opposite ends are both spread and riveted over the walls 15 and16, respectively, of the housing, to bind the shaft in position therein.

In order to permit the necessary yielding and rolling action to thisgear, I have mounted a torsional, helically-disposed spring 29 about itsshaft 27, one end 30 of the spring being secured in the bearinghead 25of the gear while the opposite end 31 of the spring is passed throughthe slot 28 in the shaft, whereby when the housing is drawn outwardly orcaused to be moved along the rack from its position, it winds up ortightens this spring, causing it to act upon the housing and gear toreturn them again to normal as soon as released.

When my improved adjustable device is employed as a yieldable member forband 9 return to normal position after haying been i loop-member 32 onthe lower edge of each,

,5 a p r 1,264,530

bracelets and the like):preferably arm a housing,"and to each oft'he'seisse'cured an end'34c of the bandmeni-bers 33, the same being led outthrough theguideYl oops 35 on the outer ends of the rack-plates, thefop-- posite'ends of the band sections being connected as at 36tothebrac'elet watclr 37-;

woe is apurelyt mechanical constructiondo i Of course when used as agarter the watch e In some instances where but a single-yieldable' gearelement is desired, one-end oftlie band would be connected to the"housing-and the opposite endat the joii-i-tli of the rack My improvedautomatically 7 adjustable designed 'to be' applied' as anelasticnieans-in' anyplace, and is often used in places where.

it is 7 adapted to perform the yieldable' am (1'- tion of ,e'lastic'webbing such for in stanc'eiasin helte suspenders, braceletsand the like2 poses as the samemay be used for any pose where such a yielfdable andadjustable c devic'eis adapted'tober-appliedl The foregoing" descriptionis directed cal. changes to which the deviceiis"suscjepti 1 his; the 1invention being defined and limited only by the terms of theappendedclaims;

for personal wear, but I do not restrict my selfto the use of thisdevice' for sucl-r purpursolely toward the'construction illustrated,

IbutI desire-it to be understood that Ireserve the privilege ofresorting to all the mechani- Iclaim; a 1'. As an artioleof manufacture,anautomatically td111$t2ll016 device comprising a "rack plate; and a"spring-actuated gear meshing' witli said rack adapted to automaticallymovedalong the-rack.

new article ofmanu-facture comprising a rack'plate, a housing slidablyengaging. said plate, a gear engaging said rack and 'rotatably mountedin said housing, a member comiected to said housing, and means forreturning said gearand housing to normal position when moved therefromalong said rack by tension on said member. a 3-. A new article ofmanufacture comprlsing a rack plate, a gear meshing with said plate, amember in which said gear is rotatably mounted slidably engaging saidplate, and a torsional spring acting upon said gear to return the-sametonormal position after having been rolled along said rack.

' 4'. A new article; of manufacture comprising a rack plate, a gearmeshing with said plate to rollthereon, a housing slidably -moun=tedo1isaid plate and in which said gear is rotatably mounted, a torsion a]?spring mounted in said gear to rotate it, and a tension member connectedto said housing to moveitwiththe gear along therack to wind up saidspring whereby sald housing 1s returned tonormal position. when thetension 7 is released.

5. A new article"ofmanufacture compris- 111g= a rack-plate, a pair ofoppos1tely-disposed housing members shdably mounted on said plate, agear mounted in eaclr housing was 621 tnrs a'regmnay be-obtainmffor'fivecents each,by'addressing'the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, Ill-6'.

